Cubic Feet to Cubic Meters Calculator
Bidirectional converter — type in either field and the other updates instantly.
Conversion Factor
1 ft³ = 0.0283168 m³
1 m³ = 35.3147 ft³
The factor 0.0283168 comes from cubing the foot-to-meter conversion (0.3048 m per ft): 0.3048³ = 0.0283168.
International Use Cases
Cubic meters dominate outside the US. International freight quotes use CBM (cubic meters). Shipping containers list both: a 20 ft container is 33.2 m³ (1,172 ft³), and a 40 ft container is 67.7 m³ (2,390 ft³). Engineering, scientific and medical applications worldwide standardize on m³.
HVAC sizing in the US uses cubic feet of room volume; in metric markets the same calculation uses m³. Convert before sharing specs across regions.
Conversion Table
| Cubic Feet | Cubic Meters |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0.0283 |
| 5 | 0.1416 |
| 10 | 0.2832 |
| 25 | 0.7079 |
| 50 | 1.4158 |
| 100 | 2.8317 |
| 250 | 7.0792 |
| 500 | 14.158 |
| 1000 | 28.317 |
| 2390 | 67.66 |
Reverse: m³ to ft³
| Cubic Meters | Cubic Feet |
|---|---|
| 1 | 35.31 |
| 5 | 176.57 |
| 10 | 353.15 |
| 25 | 882.87 |
| 50 | 1765.7 |
| 100 | 3531.5 |
Worked Examples
Example 1 — Shipping Container Load
A pallet measures 4 ft × 4 ft × 5 ft = 80 ft³. Convert: 80 × 0.0283168 = 2.27 m³. Fifteen such pallets total 34 m³ — just over the capacity of a 20 ft container.
Example 2 — Concrete Volume
A 4 m × 3 m slab at 0.15 m thick = 1.8 m³. Convert: 1.8 × 35.3147 = 63.6 ft³. Order the equivalent of 2.4 cubic yards (63.6 ÷ 27).
CBM and Freight Quotes
Freight forwarders and ocean carriers quote by CBM (cubic meter), not cubic feet, since most of the world uses the metric system. If you have a shipment measured in feet or inches, convert to cubic feet first with the shipping volume calculator, then multiply by 0.0283168 to get CBM for the quote. Freight forwarders often round CBM up to the nearest 0.01 for billing, so a small volume difference can matter more than it looks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cubic feet are in a cubic meter?
1 cubic meter equals 35.3147 cubic feet. Multiply m³ by 35.3147 to convert to ft³.
How many cubic meters are in a cubic foot?
1 cubic foot equals 0.0283168 cubic meters. Multiply ft³ by 0.0283168 to convert to m³.
What is 100 cubic feet in cubic meters?
100 ft³ = 2.832 m³.
What is 10 cubic meters in cubic feet?
10 m³ = 353.147 ft³.
Why convert between ft³ and m³?
International shipping, scientific calculations and most non-US construction use cubic meters. US suppliers and HVAC ratings use cubic feet.
How do I convert kg per cubic meter to lb per cubic foot?
Multiply kg/m³ by 0.0624 to get lb/ft³. For example, water (1000 kg/m³) = 62.4 lb/ft³.
Is CBM the same as cubic meter?
Yes. CBM stands for Cubic Meter and is the standard shipping volume unit worldwide.
How many liters in a cubic meter?
1 cubic meter = 1,000 liters exactly.